Acetylene-gas generator



No. 608,270. Patented Aug; 2, |898.

K W; S. POWERS &. A. J. REYNOLDS.

ACETYLENE GAS GENERATOR.

(Applicatin led Npv. 13, 1897.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet I.

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No. 608,270. Patented Aug. 2, |898;

W.- S. POWERS &. A. J. REYNOLDS.

ACETYLENE GAS GENERATOR.

(Application filed vNo'. 18, 1897.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheat 2.

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` UNITED A STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WALTER S. POIVERS ANDADR'AIN J. REYNOLDS,"OF NASHVILLE, MICHIGAN.

ACETYLEN E-G'AS G EN ERATO R.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 608,270, dated August 2, 1898. y

` Applicaation'iled November 13, 1897. Serial Il'o.4 658,465. (No model.)

T0 all .when rrr/@.141 @zwerm Be it known that we, IVATJTER S. POWERS 'and ADRINJ. REYNOLDS; citizens of the `United State'sfresiding'at Nashville, in the county of Barry and State of Michigan, have invented a new and useful Automatic Acetylene-Gas Generator, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to improvements iny apparatus for generating acetylene gas; and the object that we Vhave in view is to provide an improved apparatusyby which the gas generation'may be carriedfon continuously and without arresting `the operation of the macl1ine,rendered necessary in ordinary machines for the' purpose of recharging a fresh supply of calcium carbid therein.

A further. object thatwe have in view is to provide an' i'mproved'apparatus in which one gas-generator may be brought into service and automatically controlledto maintain a supply of acetylene gas in the holder or gasometer While av *second generator is being charged, 'said apparatushaving its elements so combined and arrangedthat the parts may be adjusted to throw the `first-named generator out of service and bring the last-named generatorinto service and in a manner tov control the operation of said last-named gen- Y erator automatically according to the volume of gas contained withinthe holder or gasometer.

With Athese ends in view our invention consists in the novel Icombination of elements and in the construction and arrangement off parts,which'will be hereinafter fully described and claimed.; i

To enable .others to u nderstand the inven- 1 tion,we haveillfustrated the preferred embod i ment thereof inthe'acconpanying drawings,l forming a part of this specification, and in Which- Figure 1 is a perspective View of a gasgenerator embodying our invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional elevation on the plane indicatedby the Vdottedvline 22 of Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a transverse horizontal sectional view on the plane above the'gas-generators and indicated by the dotted line 3 3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a vertical transverse sectional'view through the independent generatori-chambers, the plane' of section beinguindicated by the dottedline 4 4of Figr. '-Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail view illustrating a reversible trip by whicheither water-admission valve for'one or the other of the generator-chambers may be brought into service.

Like numerals of reference denote like and corresponding parts in eachl o'f the several iigures of the drawings.

1 designates a tank, and 2 a verticallyv` movable bell slidably fitted withinjthe tank and forming 'therewith a gas-holder or gasometer of a pattern familiar to those skilled in the art to which our invention relates.

3 4 designate lindependent gas-generators, which are situated externally to the holder or gasometer and in close relation one to the other. These generators are independent; but they are coupled together byatransverse elbow-shapedpipe 5, in which is provided the independent cocks or valves 6 '7, either of whichV may be opened or closed, according as it is desired to employ one or the other of the generators 3.4 to supply the gas to the holder or gasometer. This elbow-shaped pipe 5 is attached to the shells of the generators at or near the upper 'ends thereof, and the valves 6 7 are situated in said pipe quite close to the generator-shells, so as to be readily accessible to the operator when it is Vdesired to cut one generator out of service and to bring the other generator into service. To this elbowshaped connecting-pipe 5 is attached a delivery-pipeS, saidv pipe lbeingcoupled to the transverseelbow-shaped pipe at a point between the valves 6 7 thereiinso as to form a common connection between the gasometer and the independent gas-generators 3 4, This delivery-pipe 8 extends through a `foot-flange of the gasometer-tank 1, .thence through the bottom of the tank at a centralpoint, and is thencef extendedthrough the water seal in Y,sairlltanln vso `'asto` discharge the gas into the chamber or space of the vertically-movable bell 2.

It is tobe understood that the gasometer tank 1 contains a suitable quantity of Water Vand that the bell 2 is always immersed in the IOO IOS

of the calcium carbid contained within said generators, we employ an overhead watertank il. This water-tank may be supported directly upon the gasometer-tank 1 or it may be iixed on any suitable supports in a posi tion above the generators to insure the llow et water by gravity to said generators. In the drawings we have illustrated said watertank 9 as divided by a transverse partition to have its interior form isolated water chambers or compartments .9,aud from these chambers or compartments of said tank 9 lead the water-feed pipes 10 11, which are suitably coupled at their lower ends to the shells of the generators 3 1. Each water-feed pipe is equipped with a balanced water -admission valve arranged for operation automatically in connection with the vertically movable gasometer-bell, so that as the bell is lifted by the pressure of the gas accumulatingtherein the admission-valve is closed to cut olf the supply of water from the overhead tank to the generator-chamber; but when the pressure in the gasometer is reduced, owing to the consumption of the gas, the bell 2 descends and sets in operation devices which open the water-admission valve and supply the properquantityof water to one generator or the other, and thus start afresh the generation ot acetylene gas by the decomposition of water and calcium carbid within the generator which is in service.

The feed-pipes 10 1l between the overhead tank and independent generators are parallel to each other, and the admission-valves in said feed-pipes are designated at l2 13 in the drawings. Each valve consists of a shell or body suitably attached to one feed-pipe and a movable element which is adapted to be adjusted to open the passage through the body or shell or to close the same. This movable element of the valve is controlled automatically by a balanced lever 2l, which is attached to the movable valve element, so as to have its overweighted end 22 remote from the gasometer-tank 1, while its short arm is adjacent to an operating device, presently described, which is movable with the gasometer-bell 2.

The balanced valves 12 13 of the independent parallel feed-pipes 10 11 are so arranged that the short arms ot their controlling-levers lie on opposite sides of a vertieally-movable trip-rod 1l, which is rigidly fastened at its upper end to the head of the gasometer-bell i3. rlhis rod is parallel to the gasometer-tank 1, outside of which it is arranged under all conditions of service, and said trip rod is adapted to rise and fall with the gasometerbell. The lower part of the trip-rod plays idly or freely between the short arms of the controlling-levers for the water-admission valves 12 1S, and on said trip-rod is mounted a trip 15, which may be adjusted to bring it into operative relation with either of the controlling-levers for the water-admission valves 12 1 3.

Any suitable form of trip maybe attached to the triprod in a manner to be turned or adjusted thereon to enable said trip to engage with either ot' said controlling-levers for the valve 12 or 123, and in the drawings we have illustrated one form of this reversible trip as consisting of an ot'tsianding arm loosely fitted on the trip-rod and held in place thereon by a clamp 15, such as a set-screw. It is evident that this trip 15 may be held on lthe rod to engage with the controlling-lever of the valve 12, or said trip may be reversed on the trip-rod to have its arm engage with the controlling-lever of the valve lil. This adjustment of the trip is effected at thc same time that the valve (3 to the generator Il is closed, and the valve 7 to the generator l is opened for the purpose of cutting the lirstnamed generator S out of service and bringing the last-named generator l into service; and under these adjustments of the valves and the trip the generator l is designed to be supplied with water from the pipe 1l. and tank f) in the same manner that the generator 3 was supplied with water l'rom the pipe l0 and overhead tank.

The reversible trip provides a convenient means whereby thevsupply of water to either generator may be controlled according to the rising and falling motions of the gasometerbell 2, because it is evident that said trip which is on the rod movable with the bell is withdrawn from engagement with the valvecontrolling lever for the generator in service when the gasometer bell is raised by the pressure of gas in the gasometer, thus cutting off the supply of water to the generator in service and arresting the generation of gas therein; but when the supply of gas decreases in the gasometer or holder the bell and trip descend to have the trip engage with a lever of the admission-valve to open the latter and permit a proper quantity of water to pass from the tank to the calcium carbid contained within the generator.

The gas in the gasometer or holder is supplied to the system of piping by an outletpipe 1G, having a vertical branch extending through the water seal in the holder and open for the free admission thereto of gas contained within the holder.

The movable bell 2 oi. the gasometer is provided with a guide-rod 24, which is attached rigidly to the head of said bell and plays idly or freely in a keeper or guide 25, fastened to the gasometer-tank 1, and said guide-rod and keeper serve te position the bell within the tank 1` in a manner to prevent the trip-rod and trip from moving out of position with relation tothe controlling-levers of the wateradmission valves in the feed-pipes 10 11. This vertically-movable bell is also equipped with an automatic vent-valve 17, which is iitted to a seat 1.7 in the head ot' the bell 2, said valve being normally held Iirmly to its seat by a pressure-spring 171. The tension of; this spring is sufficient to hold the ventvalve to its seat under the desired pressure IOO IIO

of gas stored within the holder; but when the gas-pressure exceeds its limit it overcomes the resistance ot the spring and opens thevalve in order to permit a limited quantity of the gas to escape, after which the spring again closes theA vent-valve.

The cartridge of calcium carbid to be supplied to either generator 3 or 4 is contained within a cage 18, said cage being constructed` of perforated sheet metal or foraminous material to enable the water to obtain free access to the calcium carbid. Said cage is also provided with pendent feet 1S, adapted to rest upon the bottom Vof the generator-shell and to elevate the contents thereof a suitable distance above the liquid contained in the bottom part of the said generator, and, if desired, the perforated cage may'be provided c with a suitable handle, by which it can be conveniently placed in or removed from the generator. The generator-shell is equipped with a removable head or closure 19, which fits snugly to the generator-shell, and is adapted to be clamped tightly thereon by means of a clamp 20, arranged to straddle the cover and to engage with suitable bindin g-lu gs 20a, rigid with' the generator.

Each generator is further equipped with a drain-cock 26, fastened to its shell at or near the lower part thereof, and by opening said cock the sediment and liquid contained within the generator may be discharged into a suitvbie vessel.

The operation of our invention may be described, brieiiy, as follows: The trip 15 is adj usted to engage with the controlling-lever of the valve 13 in the pipe 11, leading to the generator 4, as shown by Fig. 1, andthe valve 6 from the generator 3 is closed, while the valve 7 from the generator 4 is open. Water having been supplied to the overhead tank 9 it passes through the pipe 11 and valve 13 to the generator 4, and this water having access to the calcium carbid contained within the generator 4 the carbid and water are decomposed to produce acetylene gas, which i'lows through the pipes 5 and 8 to the tank and bell of the gas-holder. As the gas increases in volume in the holder it lifts the bell, the trip-rod, and the trip, and the latter is thus withdrawn from en gagement with the controlling-lever and the valve 13, permitting the lever to close the valve and shut off the supply of water to the generator 4. When the charge of calcium carbid in the generator 4 is spent or exhausted, the valve 7 is closed, the valve 6 opened, and thetrip 15 is adj usted to engage with the controlling-lever of the valve 12, thus permitting the water to pass from the tank .9 to the calcium carbid contained in the generator 4.

The operation of generating gas in this generator 3 is controlled automatically by the trip which operates the valve 12, and while the generation of gas continues in the generator 3 the charge of calcium carbid in the 1. In an acetylene-gas apparatus, the com bination with a gasometer, and a water-tank, of the independent generators, the watersupply pipes between the water-tank and said generators, the independent water-valves in said pipes and provided with the weighted operating-levers which extend into the space between saidvwater-pipes, a trip-rod arranged between the water-pipes contiguous to the free ends of said weighted levers and attached to the gasometer-bell for movement therewith, and a manually-operative trip rotatably fitted to said trip-rod and having a clamping device and a projecting arm, said trip adapted to be turned by hand to bring its arm into position to engage with either valve-operating lever to open and close one water-valve on the vertical play of the `gasometer-bell and also adapted to engage operatively with the lever of the other water-valve, substantially as described. l

2. In an acetylene-gas apparatus, the combination with a gasometer, and a water tank, of the independent generators, a gas -pipe spanning the space between and connected to said'generators and having a pipe which discharges to the gasometer and the independent cocks, G, 7, situated between the generators and the gasometer-pipe, the Waterpipes connecting they generators separately with the water-tank, a trip-rod arranged between the water-pipes and connected to the gasometer-bell to travel therewith, the independent water-valves in said water-pi pes, the weighted levers attached to the water-valves and having their free ends extended toward the trip-rod, and a reversible trip mounted vfor rotary adjustment 011 the trip-rod and having a clamping device and an extended arm adapted to engage with one or the other of the valve-levers, whereby the trip may be adjusted to engage with one valve-lever to operate the valve on the vertical travel of the rod and the trip may also be engaged with the other valve-lever to actuate the valve thereof in like manner, substantially as described.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing as our own we have hereto affixed our signatures in the presence of two witnesses.

WALTER S. POWERS. ADRAIN J. REYNOLDS. Witnesses:

J ULIA POWERS, EMMA BARBER.

IIO 

